What is Lectio Divina?
Catechism Meditation:
Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him. ―No. 2708
REFLECTION. Lectio Divina is a Latin term that means “divine reading”. It is a traditional way of praying the Scriptures so that this living Word may penetrate our hearts and minds and that we may grow in an intimate relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. When using this form of prayer as reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soak-in.
When praying the Rosary as in Lectio Divina: contemplating the different Mysteries of Jesus’ life, with Mary’s eyes. This is the classical usual way of meditating on the mysteries of the Lord’s life. Typically when praying the Rosary, an individual will announce a particular mystery from the life of Jesus Christ before each decade of Hail Marys. In order to deepen your meditation on this mystery, some have found it beneficial to read a short passage from the Bible that corresponds to each mystery of the Rosary. The purpose of the Rosary, therefore, is a deeper understanding of all the mysteries concerning Christ. A mystery is something divine, because the Persons associated with it are divine. Human reflection alone reaches a limit of understanding. But by seeking God in what we can know by prayerful reflection, we dispose ourselves to His grace and to a deeper understanding of the truths of the Faith, and of ourselves in light of them.
PRAYER. Lord, help me to meditate on You.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“For meditation the ear of the soul is more important than the tongue. God has things to tell us which will enlighten us-we must wait for Him to speak. No one would rush into a physician’s office, rattle off all the symptoms, and then dash away without waiting for a diagnosis. It is every bit as stupid to ring God’s doorbell and then run away. The Lord hears us more readily than we suspect; it is our listening to Him that needs to be improved.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen